So tonight’s episode of holiday showdown had a gun toting military family from Lincolnshire going on a holiday-swap with a bisexual anarchist ouple of video artists.
The military monkeys took the anarchists to Texas on a holiday of shooting guns, trying to shoot boar and roping cattle.
then the bi people took the Lincolnshire rednecks to San Francisco for a week of hanging out with trannies, filming the streets of SF for a VJ gig.
What was startling was seeing a bloke, who thought nothing of whooping his teenage son into a testosterone fueled frenzy over a huge gun, describe two men kissing as disgusting and something that no decent person would let their children see… but aiming a Magnum at a human-shaped target (or boar, or deer) was fine.
We’re back to the topic of moral equivalence. OK, so it was intentionally car-crash TV, but the juxtaposition of gun-toting misogyny with anarchist sexual liberalism was a really interesting one, given that bigotry, intolerance and downright nastiness of the Lincolnshire smiling militia.
Shooting good, lovin’ bad. Very odd equation, that one.
As Michael Franti sang – ‘it’s not about who you love, it’s all about do you love’.
As it happens, the wife of trigger happy dan (with his remarkably gay moustache, that made him v. popular in SF!) actually took to the VJ gig really well, but she also couldn’t deal with transgendered dancers in a club. That I’d have had a problem with as well – not because they were transgendered, but just from a human rights angle, I’m not into exploitation at all, and I don’t think transgendered people should be objectified in that way any more than I think women should be. There were a few things in the SF scenes that I’d have issues with, but none of it because it was ‘sick’ or because they were ‘woofters’, more that that level of sexual-obsession tends to stem from either hurt, poor self image or narcissism, none of which need celebrating, just understanding.
But of the two holidays, I’d take a week with the lovely freaky drag-queens of San Fran over a week with the gun totin’, wife subjugatin’ rednecks any day… All the freaky people make the beauty of the world, to quote the lovely Franti again…
I saw that Steve (lying on my sickbed, coughing loudly – still!!), and thought the same, however I really thought that the experience did the moustached gun-toting “straight” guy the world of good – I loved the video bit at the end before they met up where he was wearing make up and cross dressing (well it looked like it), and he was really glad to have come across the other guy, as he obviously really liked him. It broke down his barriers, and he realised that gay/bi people are, well just people after all, not some sort of freaks, like he originally thought! I doubt whether in a million years he would ever have ended up even talking to someone he sneered at so vehemently at the beginning of the programme, so although I detest that programme, for once it really did someone some good! Now, if only he’ll stop dragging his kids halfway across the world to kill things, maybe there’ll be hope for him still!! All I could think was maybe he and his son are genitally-challenged, so the guns made up for what was missing!
nice review. the sf restaurant scene was edited to look more seedy than it actually was. a few people have wondered what we were doing taking our kids to a place like that. it was a great venue, with great food and atmosphere.
the waitresses basically get assigned to a table and half way through the evening get up and do their ‘mime camp’
Kate – I agree, the ending suggested that there was something of a change in man with the golden gun, which is a step in the right direction, for sure.
Paul and Emma – I think you acquitted yourselves admirably on the program – clearly a situation designed to just stir up provocation, and you came across as genuine open people. I’m sure the editing of the whole show was designed to make it all look as confrontational as possible – it was car crash TV after all – and you still came across well. No mean feat!
Thanks Steve,
The editing was obviously something we were very concerned about!!!
I’m a great fan of Mr Franti’s Hip Hoprisy and the Beatnigs.